I had a lot to do in Rome today, many errands. I won’t bore you with them. Most of you want to know what I ate, anyway. I made breakfast in my own place: eggs over easy with prosciutto in the pan and a dollop of cream with gorgonzola on toasts with lots of really strong coffee.
Lunch… meh… nothing to say.
Now for the rest of the day….
… tonight I met a couple priest friends for supper at one of my favorite places in Rome.
We started with mozzarella… I haven’t found better mozzarella in Rome… with hand cut prosciutto.
This stuff oozes and moos.
The first bottle. Sagrantino is a favorite of mine.
Scampi… grilled. Think of really big crayfish, split in half lengthwise, and put over flames with herbs and oil and lemon.
At some restaurants, these come out like Pirelli products. Not so here. They were properly grilled, but like wonderful scampi butter.
Dessert was nothing more than their own biscotti and some amaro.
I have a hobby: I take photos of old “no littering” signs. This, however, is not quite that! Look carefully. Perhaps some of you will want to have a stab at translating it.
The conference pretty much concluded today. However, the conference collectively issued a STATEMENT.
More on that when I can post the text and comment.
Meanwhile, thank you, readers, for supper!
I love the look of that scampi. The trick is not to over-cook them.
It all looks marvelous! Thanks for sharing Fr. Z. Buona Notte!
Aw boo, that sign’s in Italian. I don’t know Italian. :(
using my knowledge of English, Latin, and Spanish, and without using google…
“something something Our Lord, supreme pontiff Pius VI happily reigning with his special something from the 20th day of September 1775 if from the goodness of something something something outside the plaza of pollarola something and from paradise something something something originally written something something beg something from the lord something something secretary of the room the day of something something during the month of October of the same year 1775.”
Nailed it right? Well maybe it’s not slavishly literal translation, but how about we just wait thirty years to do anything about it and maybe the people will grow to love it?
The sign: A papal immunity from a tax! Wonderful. Can we get one of those??
Dinner at Hosteria Constanza?
Ow… absorbing knowledge… worldview… changing….
Okay, so now I know that scampi is “a lobster species found in the northeast Atlantic. It is orange-pink in color. It grows up to 25 cm in length.”
I assume this means we don’t get them in the US? Because the only scampi I’ve ever heard of, was a method of cooking shrimp. I’ve never seen them on nature shows, either. Are they rare?
I would like to know more about the wine; appears difficult to taste in “these United States”–worth it?
It looks like an exemption given by the Pope, from paying taxes in the piazzas of Pollarosa and Paradiso, for those driving/carting chickens and – here’s where I’m not sure, either eggs or grapes!
Our Holy Lord, Pope Pius VI., happily reigning, in a special Rescript dated 20 September 1775, has benignly deigned to declare that sellers of eggs and chickens in Piazza Pollarola and Piazza del Paradiso shall be free and exempted from payment of the tax as specified in the original Rescript as originally drawn up and published by Mr Selli, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, on the ninth day of October, this year 1775.
Mmmm…food…prosciutto happens to be my favorite, and those scampi look delightful.
Just be glad you’re not at home right now with the bitter cold over the midwest.
An excellent wine, and hard to find Stateside. I first tried it in Rome, and that very vintage and maker.
Va bene Father! I liked your description of the simple but good breakfast you fixed for yourself in your room this morning.
Hey Gregorius! lol, that was pretty good! You did better than I. I thought it was perhaps about the grandfather of Padre Pio.
I’ve had a problem finding prosciutto in midwestern USA that isn’t slimy. On my one short trip to Rome I had it with cantaloup. The meat was dry and salty and a perfect complement to the melon.
The Grotte Del Teatro Di Pompeo, I presume? Our pilgrimage group ate there with you this past October, Father. That mozzarella was amazing. [Thanks for chiming in! However the restaurant was Trattoria Costanza. But you were close! It also has remains of the Theatre of Pompey.]
So, Fr Z…I guess its your policy not to reveal your restaurant choices?? I would love to know so when in Rome I can frequent them as you seem to choose excellent places with terrific food.
So, i beg…..can you let us know?
Safe travels back to the States.